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I'll See You In My Dreams : A Sister's Memoir
228 pages, Hardcover
Published June 10, 2026
About the author
Larkin McPhee
1 book3 followersLarkin McPhee is a Peabody and Emmy award-winning director, producer and writer of documentary films covering topics ranging from the environment to mental health to the cosmos. Meticulous research, outstanding characters and powerful story-telling make McPhee's films extraordinarily compelling. Her skills as a director, writer and documentarian bring beauty and clarity to any topic. McPhee's documentaries impart a deep knowledge of the subject matter and provide viewers with a blueprint for positive change.
McPhee is perhaps best known for her intimate, sensitive portrayals of people in critically acclaimed films such as “Depression: Out of the Shadows,” a primetime PBS special on the illness of depression; “Dying To Be Thin,” a NOVA special on eating disorders; and “Children By Design,” one hour of an eight-hour PBS Series called Secret of Life, on the marvels and perils of the genetic revolution.
McPhee’s films have received widespread acclaim, including a review by The Wall Street Journal that described “Depression: Out of the Shadows” as "A treasure for its information and explanation, this documentary is that rare thing -- powerful television that can do some good in the world."
McPhee has been writing documentary scripts for over thirty years and articles related to her films for publications including the Boston Globe and Minnesota Star Tribune. She was inspired to write I’ll See You In My Dreams: A Sister’s Memoir after losing her younger brother, Charles McPhee, to ALS. Charles was host of a popular radio show on dream interpretation and his story was picked up by multiple media outlets including spots on the Today Show, as well as several articles in the New York Times.
McPhee is perhaps best known for her intimate, sensitive portrayals of people in critically acclaimed films such as “Depression: Out of the Shadows,” a primetime PBS special on the illness of depression; “Dying To Be Thin,” a NOVA special on eating disorders; and “Children By Design,” one hour of an eight-hour PBS Series called Secret of Life, on the marvels and perils of the genetic revolution.
McPhee’s films have received widespread acclaim, including a review by The Wall Street Journal that described “Depression: Out of the Shadows” as "A treasure for its information and explanation, this documentary is that rare thing -- powerful television that can do some good in the world."
McPhee has been writing documentary scripts for over thirty years and articles related to her films for publications including the Boston Globe and Minnesota Star Tribune. She was inspired to write I’ll See You In My Dreams: A Sister’s Memoir after losing her younger brother, Charles McPhee, to ALS. Charles was host of a popular radio show on dream interpretation and his story was picked up by multiple media outlets including spots on the Today Show, as well as several articles in the New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 26, 2026
Larkin McPhee's memoir about her brother Charles is one of those books that will stay with the reader for a very long time. In her desire to tell her brother's story, McPhee goes deeply into herself and her own life/experience to illustrate how important and formative their relationship is, and I found that level of bravery and honesty incredibly compelling. Her writing is clear and concise, and she draws from many elements to describe Charles' life and his passions. I feel like I got to know him a little, and that my life is richer for that knowing. Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’ll see you in my Dreams, a remarkable memoir by Peabody and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Larkin McPhee, is a story of breathtaking and sensitive expression in which the author shares extraordinarily personal reflections about love and loss. In her debut book, McPhee gives us heart-rending insights about one’s place and purpose in one’s family, how we personally survive tragedy and loss, universal themes about humanity, and what we most hope and fear for the future.
McPhee tells a poignant and devastating story of her relationship with her younger brother Charles, who she describes as her best friend, and who, inexplicably, developed Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, when he was just 44 years old.
In McPhee’s narrative, Charles was his older sister’s rescuer, her confidante, and the person she could most fully be herself with. He was a “golden boy” who seemed to bask in the good fortune of simply being alive. Her brother taught her how to appreciate a fully lived life, even when he was in the throes of a devastating, degenerative disease. And when the disease starts to ravage his body, Charles still saw himself as the most fortunate of men.
We learn that since he was a teenager, Charles wanted to more fully understand the unconscious, and in fact had extensively explored his own and other people’s dreams for decades. The backdrop of his world was informed by dream psychology and he was known as an expert on dreams on The Dream Doctor Show, on syndicated national radio.
McPhee exquisitely interweaves stories of her brother’s teachings; particularly the way that dreams have the power to enlighten us about what we most fear, give power to what we most aspire, and to reflect back our genuine selves. According to Charles, what makes dreams particularly profound is that dreamers’ feelings are never disguised.
When Charles could still fully communicate, he explained that our bodies become paralyzed when we dream, so that we can’t act things out. Like the dreamstate, ironically, ALS causes a type of paralysis, albeit different, as there is no waking up from this bad dream. It’s as if Charles had been preparing for this experience his entire life, however, and the reader has a sense that he achieves greater clarity and lucidity about what is important. Toward the later stages of the disease, when Charles was nearly “locked in,” meaning that his mind was perfect but he could no longer communicate, except by blinking or moving an eyebrow, his thoughts were always for the well-being of others.
McPhee’s memoir feels like a dream itself, but the story is also a heartbreaker. The stories and flashbacks are simultaneously surprising, strange, funny, beautiful, novel and devastating. Though her narrative is deeply personal, McPhee describes universal life experiences that help us reflect on our own relationships and who we are in our own families.
There are several dynamic people in the book but one in particular is Charles’s wife, Petra. Supporting her husband’s sense of agency and incorporating and reflecting back one of his particular superpowers; the steadfast belief that we are all part of something larger, but that our shared humanity is foundational to who we are, Petra is a magnificent ally. McPhee’s understanding and depiction of Petra as a powerful partner also helps us appreciate how one can support someone’s immediate lived experience, rather than focus on the calamitous outcome of what is coming.
Charles helped his wife, sister and many others learn how to internalize courage and strength when it was most required, and McPhee passes this sage wisdom on. It is not lost, however, that this disease, though devastating to the body, leaves the mind perfectly lucid. McPhee’s beautiful writing, which also incorporates letters and radio show conversations from Charles, illuminates his profound eloquence and deep humanity, and helps us understand how he guided others to survive the unimaginable.
Sometimes when we dream, we have the experience of someone being present with us in a way they are no longer. McPhee’s memoir does just that. We are brought along for a remarkable journey where she deftly and generously allows us to know Charles, and in our own time, inevitably, perchance to dream.
McPhee tells a poignant and devastating story of her relationship with her younger brother Charles, who she describes as her best friend, and who, inexplicably, developed Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, when he was just 44 years old.
In McPhee’s narrative, Charles was his older sister’s rescuer, her confidante, and the person she could most fully be herself with. He was a “golden boy” who seemed to bask in the good fortune of simply being alive. Her brother taught her how to appreciate a fully lived life, even when he was in the throes of a devastating, degenerative disease. And when the disease starts to ravage his body, Charles still saw himself as the most fortunate of men.
We learn that since he was a teenager, Charles wanted to more fully understand the unconscious, and in fact had extensively explored his own and other people’s dreams for decades. The backdrop of his world was informed by dream psychology and he was known as an expert on dreams on The Dream Doctor Show, on syndicated national radio.
McPhee exquisitely interweaves stories of her brother’s teachings; particularly the way that dreams have the power to enlighten us about what we most fear, give power to what we most aspire, and to reflect back our genuine selves. According to Charles, what makes dreams particularly profound is that dreamers’ feelings are never disguised.
When Charles could still fully communicate, he explained that our bodies become paralyzed when we dream, so that we can’t act things out. Like the dreamstate, ironically, ALS causes a type of paralysis, albeit different, as there is no waking up from this bad dream. It’s as if Charles had been preparing for this experience his entire life, however, and the reader has a sense that he achieves greater clarity and lucidity about what is important. Toward the later stages of the disease, when Charles was nearly “locked in,” meaning that his mind was perfect but he could no longer communicate, except by blinking or moving an eyebrow, his thoughts were always for the well-being of others.
McPhee’s memoir feels like a dream itself, but the story is also a heartbreaker. The stories and flashbacks are simultaneously surprising, strange, funny, beautiful, novel and devastating. Though her narrative is deeply personal, McPhee describes universal life experiences that help us reflect on our own relationships and who we are in our own families.
There are several dynamic people in the book but one in particular is Charles’s wife, Petra. Supporting her husband’s sense of agency and incorporating and reflecting back one of his particular superpowers; the steadfast belief that we are all part of something larger, but that our shared humanity is foundational to who we are, Petra is a magnificent ally. McPhee’s understanding and depiction of Petra as a powerful partner also helps us appreciate how one can support someone’s immediate lived experience, rather than focus on the calamitous outcome of what is coming.
Charles helped his wife, sister and many others learn how to internalize courage and strength when it was most required, and McPhee passes this sage wisdom on. It is not lost, however, that this disease, though devastating to the body, leaves the mind perfectly lucid. McPhee’s beautiful writing, which also incorporates letters and radio show conversations from Charles, illuminates his profound eloquence and deep humanity, and helps us understand how he guided others to survive the unimaginable.
Sometimes when we dream, we have the experience of someone being present with us in a way they are no longer. McPhee’s memoir does just that. We are brought along for a remarkable journey where she deftly and generously allows us to know Charles, and in our own time, inevitably, perchance to dream.
August 27, 2026
I found Larkin McPhee's memoir profoundly moving and compelling. She tells the story of her close relationship with her younger brother Charles and how his heartbreaking diagnosis of ALS in his mid-forties impacted her, Charles, and their families. I loved how she interweaves Charles' job as a dream interpreter on a radio show into the story, providing examples of interpretations he made of callers' dreams as well as her own. McPhee beautifully illustrates how her friendship with Charles helped shape her and contributed to her becoming the award-winning documentary filmmaker she is today. It's a lovely testament to the strength of sibling bonds and the power of love and support in the face of tragic loss.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you, Larkin, for sharing this beautifully written and poignant portrayal of Charles’ life and legacy. Readers will revel in your story telling, as impressive on these debut pages as we’ve come to know in your films. Humor, heartbreak, science and serendipity are woven masterfully through the telling of your and Charles’ coming of age and adulthood (baby boomers especially take note!). It all combines in "I'll See You In My Dreams" to make a powerfully tender and indelible impression. You’ve done Charles proud by allowing us to bathe in his bright life.
July 21, 2026
In this luminous tribute to her brother, Larkin McPhee reveals not only the unflinching realities of ALS, but also the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit and the bonds of love that outlasts time itself. More than a memoir of illness, this is a meditation on grace, kinship, and the ties that shape our lives long after words fail. McPhee honors her brother’s life with tenderness, wisdom and clarity, reminding us that while disease can alter the body, it cannot diminish the enduring power of love or the legacy of a life well lived.
June 24, 2026
Larkin McPhee's memoir and tribute to her brother is moving and beautifully written. She weaves the story of her charismatic brother with her family history in a compelling way. Anyone who has lost a loved one to ALS (or any drawn-out illness) will find this book compelling. In addition to the memoir, themes included ALS, the usefulness of paying attention to sleep dreams, and finding one's voice. As a filmmaker, McPhee is a talented storyteller and the memoir is hard to put down.
June 23, 2026
Touching, informative, honest, and funny, this was a beautiful tribute to the author's brother and a compelling read. I tore through it.
July 10, 2026
a very good book to understand ALS
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
In her first remarkable book -- self-described as a "sibling love story" -- Peabody and Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker Larkin McPhee recounts the illness and death of her beloved younger brother Charles McPhee from ALS at the age of 49. But this is not just a book about death; it is a book about life and the life-force that was Charles. McPhee paints an indelible portrait of her charismatic, brilliant younger brother, a "golden boy" by all accounts, and in ways that literally shimmer off the page. A free spirit who followed his own path in a more traditional academic family, Charles devised his own curriculum at Princeton to study dreamwork, ultimately leading to several published books and a career as the "Dream Doctor" on a nationally syndicated radio show where callers would relay their dreams and Charles would analyze them right on the spot. One day, a caller noticed that he was slurring his words and asked if he'd been drinking -- and thus began the painful journey that led to his diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease, aka ALS.
McPhee is an elegant writer, and in a seamless, dexterous structure she nimbly weaves stories between past and present to create a luminous portrait of a man who in his essence embodied joyfulness, who looked only for goodness in people, and who in his life's work (however cut short) gave clarity and comfort to thousands seeking understanding about their own dreams and how they connected to their waking lives. We learn about Charles' adventurous spirit, his work in Antarctica, his love of the planet, his brilliance at deciphering dreams, and how throughout his too-short life -- and even in his death -- he significantly influenced his older sister. McPhee credits Charles not only for inspiring her to realize her own dreams but also for being a kind of spiritual guide, and as we learn more about him the reader too falls under his spell.
While McPhee shows us the gradual, terrible ravages this pitiless disease exerts on her brother during his five year struggle, she also shows how Charles never gave up his agency and autonomy and how he even timed his final hours so as to give his wife Petra and small daughters the least pain. When I finished this book (also interspersed with some wonderful family photos) I sat quietly, letting Charles wash over me; by the end, he was as vivid and present to me as a beloved family member.
For a great achievement of this memoir is one attained by only the very best memoirs about people we have lost: it symbolically un-does death, leaving the reader with a transcendent word picture that stays with them for a long, long time.
I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS is a powerful and unforgettable read: yes, it is an important contribution to our understanding of the devastating disease that is ALS, but it is also an exquisite portrait of sibling love and an elegy for a beautiful young man gone too soon.
Quite simply, it is a dream of a book.
(Thank you to Koehler Books for an Advanced Readers Copy).
McPhee is an elegant writer, and in a seamless, dexterous structure she nimbly weaves stories between past and present to create a luminous portrait of a man who in his essence embodied joyfulness, who looked only for goodness in people, and who in his life's work (however cut short) gave clarity and comfort to thousands seeking understanding about their own dreams and how they connected to their waking lives. We learn about Charles' adventurous spirit, his work in Antarctica, his love of the planet, his brilliance at deciphering dreams, and how throughout his too-short life -- and even in his death -- he significantly influenced his older sister. McPhee credits Charles not only for inspiring her to realize her own dreams but also for being a kind of spiritual guide, and as we learn more about him the reader too falls under his spell.
While McPhee shows us the gradual, terrible ravages this pitiless disease exerts on her brother during his five year struggle, she also shows how Charles never gave up his agency and autonomy and how he even timed his final hours so as to give his wife Petra and small daughters the least pain. When I finished this book (also interspersed with some wonderful family photos) I sat quietly, letting Charles wash over me; by the end, he was as vivid and present to me as a beloved family member.
For a great achievement of this memoir is one attained by only the very best memoirs about people we have lost: it symbolically un-does death, leaving the reader with a transcendent word picture that stays with them for a long, long time.
I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS is a powerful and unforgettable read: yes, it is an important contribution to our understanding of the devastating disease that is ALS, but it is also an exquisite portrait of sibling love and an elegy for a beautiful young man gone too soon.
Quite simply, it is a dream of a book.
(Thank you to Koehler Books for an Advanced Readers Copy).
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews